Reading Roars!

Football fans have given Reading’s Madejski Stadium the thumbs-up. In a nationwide poll of 3,000 supporters, commissioned by property consultants Drivers Jonas, the Reading Football Club ground emerged as the fourth favourite stadium in the country. The respondents’ overall favourite was Old Trafford, followed by Manchester City’s City of Manchester and St James’ Park of Newcastle United. Madejski Stadium also came fourth for comfort, view and ease of access (leading was Hull City’s KC Stadium).

The Madejski was ranked first for the quality of the range of goods - ahead of Chelsea! - but fifth in the number of toilets (Hull were top of the toilet league).

However, not all good - the Madejski is seen to have the most overpriced food.

Click here for the story reported by Life Style Extra.

There’s a new networking group in town! The London Irish Business Club will be launched on Sunday 11 September to coincide with rugby club London Irish’s first game of the season.

The Business Club is described as an opportunity for Thames Valley professionals to develop new partnerships - with Guinness Premiership rugby providing the backdrop. Members will have lunch prior to watching the game, then they will have the chance to meet the players post-match.

Find out more about the Business Club by visiting the website here.

Chief Constable Peter Neyroud of the Thames Valley Police has been invited by Sweden’s government to join a panel judging the world’s first ‘Nobel’ prize in criminology, worth 1m Swedish Kronor (GB£ 73k).

Mr Neyroud is the only police officer on the panel and will accompany top international academics.

The prize

will be awarded annually to recognise advances in understanding the causes of crime and alternative crime prevention strategies, developing more effective and humane public policies for dealing with offenders and helping victims of crime.

Click here to read the press release.

Reading has an interesting history pre-dating pedestrianisation and The Oracle. Furthermore, evidence of this is all around us. So why ignore it?

In partnership with the Civic Trust, Reading Borough Council is running Heritage Open Days during 8-11 September, allowing the public the opportunity to visit some of the town’s oldest buildings.

Some of these buildings include Reading School, designed by the architect of London’s popular Natural History Museum, Alfred Waterhouse (did you know that?).

Also, as part of the event, according to the Council:

The RISC (Reading International Solidarity Centre) edible roof garden will show off its plants from around the world.

Edible roof garden? That’s a difficult one to swallow.

In addition, there is

a tour of Waterstone’s bookshop, which is based in the ex-independent chapel.

Thus exploring Reading in a more literal way (or should that be literary?).

Click here to read the the Council’s announcement. Then check out the town’s heritage, because Reading, too, has a history! And if you can’t participate in the event, look up and beyond the shop facades lining the streets. Reading has a superb Victorian redbrick skyline! Tip: You can admire the town’s glorious rooftops from the Walkabout terrace, while enjoying a crisp Steinlager.